


Ghosts of the Commonwealth

by kaitatatertot



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Better Than Canon, Brotherhood of Steel - Freeform, Danse's POV, F/M, I actually never beat the game, Nick is best dad, Self-Indulgent, but I know how it ends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 05:24:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10483047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaitatatertot/pseuds/kaitatatertot
Summary: Just when he thought he had seen everything.A new force of nature come in to (probably destroy) Paladin Danse's life.





	1. Talking To Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> Ive stopped caring about chapter length.

It was our last stand, over three-quarters of our patrol was lost and Scribe Haylen was doing her damnedest to get Knight Rhys back on his feet. The ghouls kept coming from everywhere and it was obvious that we were going to be overwhelmed, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. The hours dragged on and I could feel my body growing more and more fatigued. There were several points where I had to literally shake ghouls off of my armor. The end was coming faster than I had anticipated.

Suddenly, I noticed more and more ferals dropping, faster than I was shooting. Rounding the barricade was someone in an obnoxious blue jumpsuit, and behind them another figure in a dusty trenchcoat and fedora. The two aided me in dispatching the rest of the ghouls. As the dust settled I noticed the blue-clad figure (they also donned horribly rusted armor) in the center of all the corpses scrounging around for what I assumed to be scrap materials. They made a noise of aggravation before turning to me, their face hidden by a cowl fashioned from an old scarf.

“Thank you for your assistance, my name is Paladin Danse.” I introduced.

The stranger was silent and their companion kept their head low. I cleared my throat, but still no response. Perhaps they were deaf? There was a shuffling noise that came from the ground followed by the stranger firing right at my feet.

“Sorry, you had a biter between your legs.” Their voice was muffled and they looked back up at me, a pair of bright eyes met mine.

“Hah, down girl.” A gravely voice joined in.

The stranger snickered before removing their cowl, “Name’s Hazel. My partner here is Nick.”

Nick tipped his hat up, revealing wrinkled silicone flesh and luminescent yellow eyes.

 _A Synth_.

I pointed my laser rifle at the abomination’s forehead and felt the warm barrel of Hazel’s revolver against my chin.

“I’ll kill you if you shoot him.” Her voice dropped an octave as she tensed her finger. The Synth looked coldly at me, as if to say “Don’t test her.”

Self-preservation shoved my pride aside as I stepped back and lowered my gun.

“Good,” Hazel holstered her gun, “if that’s all, we’ll be o--”

“Actually,” I cut in, “I could use your help.”

“Will I be paid?”

Of _course_ she was a mercenary.

“Really? Selling us off now? I thought you were better than that.” The Synth grumbled and Hazel’s expression faltered. 

Alright, _not_ a mercenary.

“You will be compensated, however I request that your,” the word felt like acid on my tongue, “ _friend_ , be on his way.”

The strangers exchanged glances, silently mumbling to one another before nodding.

“Deal.”

“Careful with him Hazel, you know how those military types are." 

“Better than most Nick, better than most.” Hazel smiled.

I raised a brow at the strange salutation and watched Hazel give the Synth a wave before sending him off into the Commonwealth. The urge to raise my gun and fire the abomination down burned through my veins, but I didn’t want to fight another battle I was sure to lose. I cleared my throat and motioned for Hazel to come inside of our base where Scribe Haylen was already leading Knight Rhys in.

“I heard your distress signal over my Pip-Boy.” Hazel raised up her left arm, showing of the intriguing piece of technology. I had learned about this before back in training. Vault Co. A rather shady operation with some of the most advanced tech in its day. She must have looted a Vault to get her hands on it.

“Excuse me? Did you say...Pip-Boy?” Scribe Haylen piped up from her work.

“Yeah. Found it after I woke up in Vault 111.” Hazel lightly ran her fingers over the screen, her gaze distant.

“How you got it is of little importance right now. Scribe Haylen, you can ask her about it later. We have more pressing matters right now.” I said.

“Of course Paladin.”  
  
“Okay, hit me. What are we doing?” Hazel asked. 

“We were sent here to scout out a suitable location for our base of operations, however it’s been nothing but hell since day one.” I explained. Hazel just nodded her head.

“We've been trying to get a signal out for reinforcements but this tower is damaged.” Scribe Haylen piped up, “Last time we were out scouting there was a site that should be able to boost the signal.”

“And let me guess, you want me to go handle it?” Hazel spoke rather sharply. I did _not_ appreciate her tone.

“Well you’d be assisting me.” I clarified. Hazel made a hum of acknowledgement.

“Are we heading out now? The sooner the better?” She reached for her revolver.

“No, no. This can wait until morning. Find yourself a sleeping bag and tuck it in for the night.”

 

* * *

 

As I talked to my squad mates about tomorrow’s mission, I caught a glimpse of Hazel carrying something rather large towards the back of the station. I tailed her and caught her right before she headed up the stairs to the roof.

“And what are you doing?” I asked.

“Taking post on the roof, keeping an eye out for biters, raiders, or whatever.” Hazel didn't turn to face me, “Figured you all had a hard day. Deserve to scrub down and sleep. I don't mind staying up extra late. Used to it.”

Her tone was...oddly clipped. Almost like she was straining to talk. But that might have just been how she was. I didn't really have it in me to care. I just dismissed her and headed back to the others where Scribe Haylen and Knight Rhys were already asleep.  
It wasn’t long after that I had finally stepped out of my armor and quickly succumbed to sleep as well.


	2. THAT DAMNED RADIO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is litterally just shit I think of at 2 am. So here it all is

 

I woke up with the sun, which was pretty late considering it was fall. And that I thought I had fixed that alarm clock to go off after four hours. In the next room I could hear soft...rather girlish chatter. I made sure to step into my armor before assessing the situation.

“What is going on here?” I asked as I walked into the lobby where Scribe Haylen and Hazel were poking over the Pip-Boy each with their own mug of...coffee?

That coffee maker hadn’t worked in  _ months _ , even with Scribe Haylen’s endless tinkering.

“Oh! Paladin! You’re up. Hazel was just letting me look at her Pip-Boy, and you’ll never guess what!” She seemed as chipper as the time she had found a near mint radio.

I sighed, “What?”

“Hazel is...Hazel’s a pre-war human! Fresh out of Vault 111, apparently she was cryogenically stored for over 200 years!”

Now that was more than interesting. A human from before the war? 

“Is that so? Well we’ll have more time to discuss this once we get the signal out. Meet me out front in ten Hazel.” And with that, I left.

 

* * *

 

“Morning Paladin.” Knight Rhys greeted from his post next to the door, he must have been feeling better enough to be in his Power Armor.

“Morning Knight, everything quiet?” 

“Mostly. Went on the roof earlier and found the new girl up there sitting in a sleeping bag playing the radio over her...Pip thing.” 

“Speaking of her, if all goes well today I’m thinking of making her an initiate. I already saw that Scribe Haylen has already gotten attached, but what about you?” I asked.

“May I speak freely?” 

I allowed it.

“I don’t care for her. She’s a wastelander who just happens to be good with a gun. She’s disrespectful, and her face just  _ spells _ trouble.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment Knight.” Hazel practically appeared out of nowhere. I looked down at her and quickly realized her scrap metal armor had been hammered down to make a chestplate and pauldrons. I was a little impressed that she had fixed up her armor in a short period of time. 

“We’ll be back no later than tonight, Ad Victorium Knight.” I said.

* * *

 

I regret everything. I regret letting that abomination live. I regret letting Hazel in. And I  _ really _ regret stopping talking. See, for the first half of our trek I had told Hazel the history and beliefs of the Brotherhood, which she seemed fairly interested in. Then for the next fifteen minutes she told me about herself. 

Her full name is Hazel Maria O’Connor, she went to school for “Law”, and she has a son named Shaun. Apparently when the bombs went off she was taken to  Vault 111 where after years of sleeping she witnessed her son get kidnapped by a man named Kellogg. Her and the abomination are currently looking into a way to find Kellogg and hopefully her son.

I didn’t know how to really...respond to her story so I just settled for silence. Which was a mistake because after three quiet minutes Hazel began fiddling with her Pip-Boy and suddenly the entire Commonwealth sprung to life to the words of...I can’t believe it…

_ What’s New Pussycat _ .

It’s as if the entire area has one common enemy, and it’s that damn song. I can’t even begin to describe the hell we had to go through. At least three dozen ferals, a swarm of roaches, six supermutants, and a goddamn deathclaw. A DEATHCLAW. IN A PLACE I HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM WANDER! And the entire time? Hazel was laughing.

With nothing but her revolver she danced around and fucking sang along. And when her ammo ran out? She plucked the nailed bat off her back and started bashing skulls. I couldn’t believe it, I also couldn’t believe that the damned song went on for over an hour.

That’s right, an  _ hour _ . 

My only solace was when the last ghoul had fallen, Hazel wiped her brow and silenced the goddamn radio on her wrist. Thank the High Elders it was quiet.

“I’m guessing that’s Arc Jet over there?” Hazel said with a jerk of the head.

The structure looked just as broken down as before, if not more so. 

With our guns reloaded and the mission in mind, we stormed inside.

Needless to say, navigating the inside of Arc Jet was...a little more than a chore. Hazel once again has turned on her music, this time to a more classical station. Which was a big improvement from before. She took the front despite my constant reminders that she’s not the one in power armor, so she can’t take the brunt of the damage should things go wrong in an instant.

“I’m fine.” She hissed and kept her gaze forward. I can see why Knight Rhys dislikes her so. Perhaps some time in the Brotherhood would straighten her out. Keep her in line and protect her from becoming another Raider.

The deeper we went into the building, the more Synths we ran into. For a short period all I could hear was Hazel firing off shot after shot while the robots practically shattered apart. Not once did I even get to lift my gun. However, I was getting a little concerned about Hazel. It seemed the farther we went, the tenser (and more violent) she got. This mission couldn’t be over soon enough.

* * *

 

The basement of Arc Jet housed a  rocket. Yes. A  _ rocket _ . I couldn’t believe it either. Hazel and I quickly walked through and reached the control panel. 

“Something is interfering with the signal…” I said as Hazel began turning dials and pressing buttons at random.

I’m  _ so _ glad she doesn’t seen any  _ danger _ in pressing random buttons. 

Then the sound of robotic voices through the intercom drew our attention.

More Synths. 

I told Hazel to stay at the panel while I took care of the issue, mainly just to get out the stress of having to deal with her any longer. Besides, it seemed easy enough.

...which was another thing I quickly regretted. The damned bots were quick and making it their number one goal to jump on me. It was getting harder and harder to fire a single shot, let alone move. 

And then I had an idea.

“HAZEL, THE...THE ROCKET” I shouted, hoping I was loud enough to reach her.

There was a loud bang, followed by the rush of the exhaust. I quickly hunched over and heard Hazel screech the word “FISHER!” agonizingly over the intercom. 

What the hell did that mean?

Once the rocket finally stopped I could hear Hazel frantically running over to me.

“OH MY GOD. OH GOD. OH GOD. DANSE?!” She pulled a Stimpak from her side bag.

“Where the hell do I even…” She mumbled.

“If you think stabbing my eye is a good idea, I’m going to stop you now.” I said, finally regaining the strength to stand.

“...I was going to stab your neck.” Hazel, squinted her eyes and put back the needle.

“Well, no need. My armor has been through worse. At least this is done now.”

“Yeah. Done. Back to the station?”

I just nodded and once again we were back out in the Commonwealth. However this time Hazel was a lot quieter than before. I can’t say I minded, but the sudden shift in her attitude was a little worrying. I did my best to explain the outcome of our mission, how the rest of the Brotherhood would be here in a few days to aid us. Yet Hazel remained silent, keeping her head forward and her bat in hand. Then I tried asking her about joining the Brotherhood, still no response. Perhaps the shock was too much? But then again, if she was a wastelander, seeing robots burned to a crisp would be the least jarring thing she would have seen.

“How strong is the Brotherhood, Paladin?” At last! She speaks.

“We’re one of the strongest forces in the nation. Built up from the bones of your military.”

“...And your objective here?” 

“Destroy the Institute. I told you this already.”

“I know. Sign me up.”

* * *

Re-introducing Hazel was a bit of a surreal experience to say the least. Scribe Haylen was more than ecstatic and Knight Rhys was downright pissed. I gave my subordinates the order to use (now Initiate) Hazel to aid them in their own missions while we waited for the rest of the Brotherhood.

Needless to say, I ended up listening to Knight Rhys give Initiate Hazel the most thorough chewing out ever. Looks like his hate knew no bounds. It was even better when Initiate Hazel herself began spouting off her angry nonsense. 

Of course I would never allow a lower ranked woman tell off her superior, but I think in this case it might help them both...somehow. 

 


	3. KELLOGG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which shit is short and Danse forgets

“Sir. Permission to speak?” It had been a few days since Initiate Hazel had joined us, and things had been running as smoothly as expected. Scribe Haylen had a whole bin of new toys to work with, and Knight Rhys now had a running tally with Initiate Hazel on who had more kills (at least they’re getting somewhat along)

“Granted Initiate.”

“I just got word from Nick that he’s got a lead on Kellogg.”

I had no idea what that meant. And apparently, my face showed it.

“The one that took my son.” Initiate Hazel clarified.

“You’re abandoning already?” The words came out before I could think.

“Finding Shaun is my first priority Sir. I’ll be back in a week. I’ll radio you if plans change.” And suddenly. She was gone. 

And things went downhill for morale. Rhys grew angry once I told him Hazel had left without permission, swearing up and down that he was going to put her through the ringer when she came back. And Haylen just became a little too quiet. 

Minutes later the radio sprung back to life, this time with Captain Kells on the line informing us that the Prydwyn was landing in the Commonwealth. 

Finally, some backup, and more than enough firepower to bring down the Institute.

* * *

 

Initiate Hazel radioed in three days later saying she was going to Goodneighbor to get some information about the Institute. Which I decided was the perfect place to lecture her about her attitude.


	4. The Memory Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last one for probably a while. I write this shit when i'm bored

Goodneighbor is about as good as a rad storm filled with roaches. The place is crawling with filth and no one wants to talk to a Paladin. But a hundred caps and a rather intoxicated woman later, I found out that Initiate Hazel had gone into a brothel looking place called ‘The Memory Den’. 

The place itself was probably the cleanest out of the entire slum where large pods were lined up against walls.

Hah. Even in the hell of these wastes, people can still find ways to abuse technology. 

I wandered around until I heard talking downstairs. That must have been where Initiate Hazel was.

Oh and how I wish I wasn't right. Because there stood Initiate Hazel, a scientist, and the Synth.

“--it’s safe. Don't worry.” I came in at the end of a conversation.

“For Nick too?” 

“Ah don’t worry about me kid. Takes more than something like this to get me rattled.”

I cleared my throat, ready to give Initiate Hazel the lecture of a lifetime. But instead she just looked at me through burning eye and for once in my career, I was speechless.

Initiate Hazel stepped into the pod and laid back. The sound of static filled the air and a large screen projected a...child’s bedroom.

“Ah. We are a little far back. Please try to navigate Kellogg’s memories as fast as you can so we can get our data.” the scientist ordered.

However Initiate Hazel took her sweet time. Taking each memory apart piece by piece. She was studying him. Even after death. Picking every last detail this man ever had. I was...disturbed was an understatement. Perhaps she really was unhinged like I had first thought.

_ THUD _

The sound drew me from my thought. Hazel was banging a fist against the pod. Her face contorted in pain. I looked on the screen and saw her. In a different pod. Her hands pressed against glass as she screamed over and over. Everything moved so fast from there. The real Hazel thrashed around, cursing over and over, screaming “SHAUN!” through the glass. The doctor rushed to the memory pod and kept telling Hazel that she was fine, that it wasn’t happening.

I had to leave the room. This was too much. I felt like I was intruding on something I wasn’t supposed to see. 

* * *

 

I had been sitting at the top of the stairs for about half an hour after the event, mindlessly petting a dog that had wandered in. I could only assume it was Initiate Hazel’s by the small hand-made “vault 111” bandana on it.

Then from down below came the Synth, holding his head as wisps of steam rolled off of his shoulders. He mindlessly shuffled past me towards the exit of the Den.

Shortly after Initiate Hazel stumbled up the stairs, her eyes swollen from crying, and her teeth gritted together.

“I said I would be back.” She hissed at me. 

“This is exactly why I came here.” I rose to tower over her, “You joined the Brotherhood under my watch. And if you want to stay among the ranks then we have to fix your attitude.”

“Fix  _ her _ attitude, can man? Hah! You’d have better luck teaching a brahmin to dance!” A gravely voice called from behind. And things went haywire. 

Initate Hazel managed to crawl around me and charge the Synth at the front of the Den, her revolver drawn and already pressed to his scalp.

“What. Did. You. SAY?!” She outright growled.

“Haha, careful there. Don’t want to--Woah Woah. Hazel, girl, you lose a screw?” The Synth’s voice toned back to something softer.

“Nick? Oh god Nick…” Initiate Hazel instantly collapsed into the Synth and exhaled.

I couldn’t take this. So I marched outside and waited for her to come back to her senses.

 


End file.
